Antigua & Barbuda – Known as “the gateway to the Caribbean”, Antigua and Barbuda have been a lynchpin of British Colonialism on the Caribbean for eons. Sought out by Sir Christopher Codrington to support the sugar cane industry in 1684, within 50 years his effort populated the islands with over 150 major sugar cane plantations, each with its own grinding wind mill. Today, some 100 of these stone structures still exist, but now they serve as houses, bars, restaurants and shops.

In 1784 Admiral Horatio Nelson established Antigua as Great Britain’s most important Caribbean base with English Harbour, now impeccably restored, where British Man O’ Wars were serviced and repaired at Nelson’s Dockyard. This 15 square mile national park is the only Georgian dockyard in the world and almost all of the park’s features of interest overlook the harbor. On Sundays, visitors can enjoy the vista with a barbecue, rum punch and live music at Shirley Heights, an array of gun emplacements that look out far over English Harbour.

Both islands are surrounded by a diver’s paradise of coral, wrecks and walls on sea shelves that create excellent conditions for shallow diving. The islands contain 365 magnificent pink and white beaches that are open to the public year round. Whether beachcombing, snorkeling, sailing, swimming or simply enjoying a family picnic, you will find the perfect beach for your island adventure at Antigua & Barbuda. The Islands host wonderful events throughout the year. Carnival, a ten day festival that celebrates the emancipation of slaves in 1834, hosts several competitions, including the Calypso Monarch and Party Monarch dancing competitions, the Panorama Steel Band competition, the Miss Antigua Pageant and the Caribbean Queen’s Competition and Parade of Bands, to name just a few of Carnival’s festivities (see http://www.antiguacarnival.com/.) Most months contain sailing or yachting events, but you don't want to miss Antigua’s Sailing Week, now in its 39th year, which is one of the top three regattas in the world.

Antigua & Barbuda host a continuous series of year round activities too numerous to mention here, but a review of our favorite websites listed below will convince you to put Antigua & Barbuda in your future soon. Global Net Trading’s favorite websites for Antigua & Barbuda are: http://www.antigua-barbuda.org/index.htm. This is a very pleasant site that offers a complete background history and comprehensive review of the Islands’ wonderful tourist attractions. http://www.geographia.com/antigua-barbuda/index.html. Whether you are looking for a list of the great restaurants on the islands or need a breakdown of the various activities available to plan your visit, this site brings it all to you. Its best bets section offers up commentary from recent visitors to assist the uninitiated in appreciating what appealed to others. Whether they enjoyed a high end vacation or a more modest course, the contributions reflect an experience that all could enjoy. http://www.antiguanice.com/. Simple, easy to use and very comprehensive, this is a good website. It is replete with pictures of accommodations, restaurants, beaches and must-see sights. Take some time to check this site out. You won’t be disappointed with what you discover about the islands.

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